NBA Coach Admires Arsenal’s Set-Piece Tactics

By The Editor
on 28th February 2025

Joe Mazzulla credits Arsenal’s set-piece plays…

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is a fan of Arsenal’s set-piece tactics and believes it mirrors some of the plays familiar with top NBA teams, he told Men in Blazers.

Arsenal tops the set-piece statistics once again this term with Nicolas Jover receiving worldwide recognition for his innovative methods when setting us up from dead-ball situations.

Mazzulla, who coaches the reigning NBA champions, likened Arsenal’s work in the box to the kind of screens we see on NBA courts to clear the path for the player on the ball.

While the team’s goals from corners have dried up with the last one coming in January against Tottenham, our threat remains and forces teams to spend hours working on stopping it.

“That’s another connectivity between American football, football and basketball – the set-pieces,” Mazzulla said.

“You’ve seen Arsenal take advantage of that. Arsenal has done a great job of setting back-screens on set-pieces to where you’re now pinning a guy and getting cut behind with a back-screen.”

Arsenal’s goals from set-pieces have dried up in recent weeks and while some may claim it’s because our methods have been found out, the answer is much simpler.

Corners are only as good as their takers and in Bukayo Saka, we’re missing the player with the most consistent delivery into the box.

Saka’s ability to consistently send missiles into the opposition’s six-yard box was the main ingredient to our threat from corners.

Martin Odegaard has attempted to replicate the 23-year-old but has failed miserably in what’s turning out to be a career-altering campaign for the Norwegian.